Sly Cooper: The Other Story
by Madnesz23
Summary: This will go through all of Sly's adventures with an additional point of view from my character, a highly trained mechanist and soldier bat, as he witnesses all of it and catalogues it all. Please rate and comment.
1. Sly Cooper I: Prologue

'If someone asked me what I wanted to do, I would have answered with 'care for my mother, her sickness had only gotten worse', but that was not how it went for me.' A young bat wrote in his journal as he sat on the rooftops, awaiting something to happen as he continued to write. 'Fortune decided for me as Interpol offered the needed treatment for my mother, but I was initially skeptic, it didn't help that their task was the capture of Sly Cooper, heir to the Cooper Legacy and had become active in recent days, trustworthy intel says that Sly Cooper, along with two unknown allies, were planning on stealing something from Interpol HQ, my task, terminate the raccoon by any means necessary, but that is where the line is drawn.' The bat hummed as he looked to the moon for a moment before returning to his journal and wrote. 'Needless to say, that didn't go over well with the more aggressive members of the world as they wanted the young thief dead, but Death is a LAST RESORT, not an answer to a problem, it never is and, still people believe the lies, anything that would make them think less on the results and outcomes, even the methods are never questioned.' He shook his head as he finished up the entry. 'Still, I am not surprised, the people love the fact that justice is honest, never shadowed with mystery or spite, this is Xander Fangmeen, signing off.' The journal closed and he came to rest on the ground, peering through a scope of a rifle as he hummed, fiddling with the special mods of the weapon as he mused.

"Now then, Mr. Cooper, where are you...?" The lens flew about in search before a tuff of gray was caught and he lined it up. "Hello, Sly Cooper." A young raccoon, donning a blue shirt and gray pants with free room for his tail, he also wore a blue cap and carried the same cane that he carry from his days in the orphanage of Happy Camper. A notable detail was, when he stopped, he pulled out a pair of binoculars from a pouch on his hip and peered about before he replied to someone, mostly an ally as the sight trailed to the ventilation system for Interpol. "What could Interpol have that you need to sneak in from the vents, something is up and it is not something the blue-caps are willing to say." Sly sneaked across the roof and into the vent before Xander adjusted his position peering to find Cooper as he descended down the building and to the main floor for the officers, meaning he had to move out of position and into another site, the rifle collapsing own as he rushed for a better site and dropped again, the rifle returning to size as he mused to the location of where Cooper was heading. "Inspector Fox's office? Why, Sly, how dark of a man would dare to creep into his own love interest's place of work?" But he kept watch as Sly looked at his binoculars before dialing in the code for the safe, strange as it meant that he was getting aid from a hacker or a tech genius, before he pulled out a bundle of files, the scope zooming in to see the name of 'Cooper' on it and the puzzle fit into the world a bit more. "Were you in search of that one file? Maybe, you just haven't let it go." But Xander couldn't deny the similar-aged youth, his family was slain and there was not a trace of the culprits, just destroyed the place, killed his family, and ripped pages from some old book, the same book that stayed with Cooper in the Orphanage. He didn't wait long as a voice called out as Sly paused with a turn.

"Criminal!" From another building, Carmelita Montoya Fox arrived and shouted as she got down to even level with the thief. "You foolish raccoon! I've caught you red-handed!" Instead of running and panicking, Cooper exchanged batter with her as Xander listened through both an earpiece and just their general yelling, they were not quiet one bit.

"Ahh... Carmelita. I haven't seen you since I gave you the slip in Bombay."

"Which reminds me — you need to return the Fire Stone of India to its rightful owners."

"Aw, and I was going to give it to you as a little token of my..." He paused as he commented on the shock pistol in Carmelita's hands. "Hey, you know that bazooka really brings out the color of your eyes. Very fetching!" Inspector Fox countered with a level-head as Xander just shook his head.

"You think? This pistol packs a paralyzing punch. You ought to try it. Might snap you out of your crime spree."

"And give up our little rendezvous?"

"Plenty of time for that once you're safely behind bars."

"Love to stick around and chat, but I just dropped by to pick up this case file." He waved the bundle in hand slightly as he smiled. "I think you've had it long enough." The chase started as Carmelita barraged the scaffolding that Sly quickly dashed and jumped down before getting to the packing lot, cars erupting into flames from the firepower of the shock pistol before Sly slipped into a blue van with his logo on its side and a number of other things that one would actually see in a news van. He frowned a bit as Carmelita shouted after them and primed to chase them down, but first was location, Xander on the tail as he jumped down to where he parked a radiant motorcycle and revved it up before taking off, the rifle back to its smaller size and allowing him to slip past the arousing city as he pursued the van, staying in the blind spots and out of sight before he stopped at a derelict train car on the outskirts and he peered in to find the first place being somewhere in the Welsh Triangle, most likely the Isle of Wrath, but the question was who...? He scoped it out as they debated before he caught sight of the individual they were targeting, Sir Raleigh.

'Why would Cooper's files have Sir Raleigh in them, is he connected in a way?' To bug the car was a wise idea, but a foolish one as they could be moving to the next target and never stay in one place for very long, so he marked the place in his mind and took off, only stopping to mark it down to where they were heading next on a map and moved out, the travel going to give him ample time to ambush Cooper if he is only a thief, but there was far more to the story than what the forces would be unwilling to say in the end, it was his turn to find out, they never needed to know what he does in the end...

* * *

Sly rested for a moment as he thought about his renewed hope, finally the time had come to get his legacy back, back from the monsters that robbed him of all he was going to have, they would not stop his mission from beating them and getting back his treasured book of the Thievius Raccoonus, avenge his father and all of their family, and restate the Cooper legend or die trying, but he had a high hope, he was not going to fail. He looked back from the window to see his friends, his 'brothers' of Bentley, the tech genius and strategist for the heists, and Murray, their getaway driver and a big guy, Sly frowning a bit as he thought about it.

Three friends in a band of thieves against whatever was going to hit them with and Murray is only the driver, he was the thief, and Bentley their brains, somehow those odds made it hard to think that they would win right off the bat, but they had to try, they had to... otherwise everything they had done was going to be in vain. He closed his eyes as he turned back to the window, how long was it that he was planning this, the piece to obtain to kickstart the salvation of the Cooper Line.

He opened his eyes again before he mused. "Tomorrow, we will win and fight whatever Raleigh may have to stop, he will not stop me from getting my legacy and hope back..." He closed his eyes to sleep, the time was far past for him and he needed to sleep a bit...


	2. Sly Cooper I: Tide of Terror

Finding the way to the Welsh Triangle and rigging up a site was not part of Xander's plans to deal with the Cooper gang, but it was part of finding out WHAT Sly was after from the arrogant machinist of a frog, the heavy downpour a pain that he remedied with some cover as he started to write once more, dating the entry as usual. 'A few days have passed and I have arrived to the stronghold or hideout of Sir Raleigh, it was not simple to find as I had to trek through downpour on downpour of stormy weather, curious as I am sure that, in recent years, Raleigh has been nothing less of a threat to national security, his business tears through the patrolling naval ships of arms and cargo if they get too close and only trust the nearby lighthouse that must be under the frog's control.' Xander hummed as the roar of a engine close by came to tone and he finished the entry quick. 'But that can be debated later on, now is the time to watch and see what Cooper will do later. With a firm standing, Xander Fangmeen.' He shelved the journal and laid down, watching as the van arrived and parked as Xander mused. "Now then... let's see where you're heading, just be warned, you do anything vile and a shock round will be waiting for you." He tampered with the round and nodded as the settings were reset to non-lethal, he was not going to play the idiot to a bunch of bureaucrats...

* * *

Sly jumped out as the van came to a stop, pausing a moment as he felt... like he was being watched from somewhere, but between the rain and storm, there was no telling where the vision was coming from. He didn't pay too much mind to it as he headed into the compound of Raleigh's hideout, walrus workers and bodyguards protecting the way and place as he worked to get through, gasping as he nearly touched a spotlight that would cause 'acute combustion', but something slammed into the light, causing it to shut down, it looking like a shock blast, but he didn't hear a single fire of a weapon or the shuffle of someone chasing him down as he lifted his Binocucom to his face and spoke. "Bentley, I think I know why I had this feeling of someone watching me, someone else is here and they are keeping an eye on me."

_"Do we need to call it off?"_

"No, I just need you to monitor, see where this person is and where they are coming from, I nearly just combusted and they just hit the light with a silent round of shock, I am getting the feeling that we have another agent on us than Carmelita."

_"Got it, so with Raleigh, we ALSO have to deal with a unknown Interpol agent?"_ Sly would like to admit, that sounded likely, but who else could be assigned to the Cooper case, was there anyone else after him on the job? He didn't want to know as he got out and listened to Bentley again as he paused by the first checkpoint to mark his place. _"According to my Amphibio-Positioning System, that big blimp is where Raleigh is hiding out."_ Sly looked up to the blimp and hummed as he questioned it.

"You know, that blimp looks more like a machine than a hide-out." He heard some fast typing before Bentley answered with surprise.

_"You're right, Sly. That is a storm machine! It's the reason why it never stops raining around here."_

"That explains all the wrecked ships." Actually, it was true, if the ships passing by were subjected to this storm and forced into the rocks, then Raleigh clearly didn't have a clear heart, he was just greedy and power hungry as Bentley questioned it.

_"But why would Raleigh want bad weather at his own hide-out, 24/7?"_

"Beats me, but rain or shine, I'm going to steal my family's book back, and if Raleigh gets in my way... it's on." He remembered, he remembered well that Raleigh took the first of the book with him with some of the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus. If he was going to get the book back together, Raleigh HAD to go as Sly pressed on, fighting the guards that attacked, but also keeping an eye out for his unknown observer, picking up clue bottles and taking them back to a safe that actually contained a page for the book, one depicting the 'Fast Attack Dive Move' by Drake Cooper, stashing it before leaving a calling card and getting into the main compound, pausing once more as he commented. "That blimp looks like the most secured location on this boat. If Raleigh's really as smart as his police file suggests, then that's where I'll find him."

_"Wonderful idea, but your plan is flawed."_

Sly asked into the binocucom as to the reasons. "Why?"

_"Because it's impossible get near him."_ He directed his gaze to where Bentley would be pointing out. _"To access Raleigh's blimp, you would have to sneak through that high-voltage power tube. To do that without getting electrocuted, you'd have to destroy that power generator, and to do that, you need two more of Raleigh's treasure keys, which are heavily guarded."_ Sly liked the challenge of it as he already had one treasure key, though the others could be more troubling, but he was confidant in his abilities.

**"**Interesting. So when are you going to get to the impossible part?"

_"Fine! But I warned you!"_ Sly rolled his eyes as Bentley marked the places to hit up and continued. _"I've marked the areas you need to hit with holographic markers. Follow them to your objectives."_

"Thanks!"

_"Don't mention it — it's your funeral."_ That was over-the-top, but Sly still needed all the help he could get, they were the family he had grew up with. He nodded before pausing, briefly looking back to see the gaze's location, but they were hiding with ease, far more tricky than he or they were even expecting as he dashed for the first place, a library or study from the looks of it...

* * *

Xander flapped back down as he positioned himself in more cover, hid away from the rain as he scoped out Cooper and trailed him through the windows of the study, finger itching to fire, but he resigned the notion, flipping the safety on as he just observed, Raleigh was not playing around, he had rigged up traps and dangers in the study, fit to stop a reckless fool, but Cooper was not reckless, nor was his aide as a barrel was employed and walked right past with darts in the wooden defense before Cooper smashed the traps, less work for the cops and more work for the goons and master of this domain. He also scoped in the next page of something that Cooper snatched from a vault inside, the details missing in the distance, but he did get a name from the page, one of the many Coopers. 'A trick to preforming a slow motion jumps, clearly the Cooper line succeed in death-defying things, but to briefly deny gravity to extend a jump, they must also be magicians somehow.' He hummed as he kept an eye out as Cooper grabbed the treasure key and headed on out again, this time going into a vault of some kind, likely with the gains of lost ships and aircraft that Raleigh destroyed and captured. Sly returned with a sheet of paper and Xander got a quick look to see it was the entire blueprints of Raleigh's operations, meaning that they would be easier to deal with finding anything breakable, like those clue bottles that he had seen Cooper collecting.

He turned his gaze to the next place that Cooper was heading, it venting steam on the regular, making it seem like an engine was mounted inside and he couldn't compromise his position by going after Cooper, that would be unwise... but it wouldn't be if he had an ear in the heated place. The safety switched off, he dialed it in and lined the shot, waiting for a moment before he fired, getting a micro-transmitter and listening device on the collar of Sly's outfit, remaining low before he tampered with the weapon again and smiled as he listened in. It would appear that it was indeed an engine for the whole thing, powering the place with energy and surge as they found another page, one that develops a 'roll' move for Cooper, likely as a method of dodging quickly before he jammed the gear shaft and snatched the treasure key, returning back as Xander just kept watch, just did so as Sly headed into the next chamber...

* * *

Sly felt the heat boil over him as he briefly heard Bentley say it was the power source, his sense of obtaining the treasure keys in the area before going further toward Raleigh being tough on him, but he had to admit that it was not too bad, he got some practice in and some training on how the moves and skills worked, he was earning his place in the legacy and he needed all of it to both face Raleigh, his villainous allies, and anyone that tries to steal from the innocent and the hurt. Still, it also helped to think in the sweating coal and flames of the place, who else was part of the Cooper Case, who else other than Carmelita would be chasing him down, getting ahead of the foxy inspector just to keep a sight on him?

The answer was complex, there was no real reason for it and, while he welcomed the challenge, to know that he could be sniped just like the light was a notion he didn't like, still he headed in and snatched the key before heading back out, debating the next site before he realized that he could just move on to the next area as he approached the gate and unlocked the safety gate, destroying the power generator and getting to the next section as Bentley exclaimed. _"Astonishing! All my calculations led me to believe you would fail to knock out that generator!"_

"Never was good at math." Sly joked.

_"Well, here's a real test for you..."_ Bentley typed it out as he continued. _"I've found a way up to Raleigh's hideout, but unfortunately, it is doomed to failure."_

"You're not going to tell me I have to shoot myself out of that cannon?"

_"I'm afraid that's the only way."_

"Now you're talking!"

_"You're really scaring me, man."_ Bentley stated before he pressed on. _"Anyway, to get inside that thing, you have to steal all seven of Raleigh's treasure keys."_

"So what are we waiting for?" Sly rolled a hand as he continued. "You show me those 'holo-whats-its'..."

_"You mean my holographic markers?"_

"Yeah, yeah — and I'll swipe whatever it takes to get shot out of that cannon and steal back my family's Thievius Raccoonus." The line was cut and Sly took notice of two more sites, but he didn't go any further when coming close to a sub before he spun around, the gaze peering at him again, he wasn't sure if it was being paranoid or just that the agent is being EXTRA sneaky around him before he turned back and headed down under the water to face off with some crabs stealing chests...

* * *

"What's next, he actually following through with the cannon plan?" Xander asked himself before he hummed before continuing. "Guy is sure determined to get this Thievius Raccoonus thing back, even risking his own life for it." Xander hummed before he took flight, heading for the last area and stepping in, he didn't have much need for a treasure key, nor did he have a firm interest in the operations as his 'superiors' commanded, he was only there for Cooper, but he could kill some time by getting the last key and the page hidden in the place. He paused as Raleigh spoke up.

"Ahoy, dock hands!" Xander paused as he just listened. "Capital job unloading that cargo last night. You're the crown jewel of my operation. Do me the service of proving your worth yet again by protecting the treasure key that I have stored down there. It appears there is a prowler on the premises." Clearly not Xander, but Cooper, but he could be the second prowler about the place for the fun of it. "And if any of you let him get his hands on that key, I'll personally flog the lot of you for an entire fortnight!"

'Whoa, tough manager...' But that manager didn't need to know that a member of Interpol was dropping by for the prize. The walruses and squids guarding the place were no match for him as he prowled across the husks of the lost planes and ships, mostly intact or fragmented as he shut off the systems from a distance and approached the vault and hummed as he looked over the clues. "Each piece of these clues seem to form a set of numbers, but what number could it be...?" He hummed before he started to piece it out and nodded as he reached out and switched the dials. 'Seven-One-Nine...' A click came and he spun the wheel and it opened to a page, he lifting it, turning it over and reading through it as he felt his brows raise. 'I dare accuse them again, but this sort of magnetic power over funds would be a grand scheme in magic... but what exactly is the Thievius Raccoonus?' He turned it several times before he spotted it, a small set of dates that meant that it was made that day and age as he spun the key on his finger. 'A collection of techniques passed down through the Cooper Line, skills for aspiring thieves, but more for the long generation of renowned Coopers, not many carry the same fame from the notion of it, but it must be a family thing.' He mused before he paused, looking at a guard, both eyeing each other before Xander quickdraw, ending the minion before he paused as the coin pouch started to shake and he snatched it as it came flying at him, clearly he had subconsciously learned the ability to attract coins and funds to him, his brow raised before he just smiled. "Well now, I guess Mr. Cooper should keep a close eye on his things, would hate for him to lose it all the sudden..."

* * *

Sly rolled his shoulders as he got out of the sub and groaned. "Bentley, those crabs were really annoying, I would rather not deal with such a thing again... if I can help it."

_"Sorry, Sly, but that treasure key is needed if you want to fight Raleigh, no other way around it."_ Sly didn't deny, he just wasn't expecting the crabs to go snatching the chests that he needed to blast and trying to make the whole thing harder than it should have. He groaned as he headed to the next area to get the last key... only to stop, foot barely to the metal steps when he spotted the last key... resting in the cannon lock with a page of the Raccoonus rather tucked in the hole, preventing the storm from drowning it out, but also seemingly pointing out that someone or something decided to drop on by and do the course for him, a strange thing as the agent had to be Interpol and there was no way that an Interpol agent would just leave evidence alone just like that and to be picked up by Sly which he did with the key, unfurling it to Coopergiwa's page and stashing it in his book, the chance to go after Raleigh now in hand, but far from it as Sly called Bentley.

"Bentley, remember our mystery agent?"

_"Yeah... why, did something happen?"_

"Yeah, whoever this guy was, he just managed to get in, get out, take a page of the Thievius Raccoonus and one of the treasure keys and then, just leaves them here at the cannon, can you get any details on this guy or gal, please?"

_"I'll see what I can turn up, but you deal with your problem, Raleigh is not likely to know that you have a unknown aid in some way."_ Sly nodded as he unlocked the way and got into the cannon, it turning before it aimed and fired, Sly flying high and smashing through the window of Raleigh's blimp, the toad croaking in anger.

"How delightful. We have a guest. The only thing is... _I hate unexpected guests!_"

Sly countered the angered toad. "Listen, Raleigh. Wipe out my family and steal what's mine, you better expect company."

"Ohhhhhh, I'm ever so sorry. How sloppy of me not to finish the job." The metal-hatted frog croaked in reply. "Obviously, we should have snuffed you out as well. So, without further ado, let me make amends by, what..." He started to yell again. "_Bloating to gargantuan size, and squashing you like the insignificant bug that you are!_"

"Bring it on." And so the battle started and Sly got it down pat as the toad ate a fly or something, bloating before bouncing to crush Sly, but he tired out and Sly landed a solid few strikes on the crazed frog before he smashed the machinist into the water and he cursed.

"Blast it all! You've beaten me!" Raleigh scoffed as he threatened. "Well, gloat all you want, Sly Cooper. You're no match for Muggshot, my villainous cohort in Utah." The frog gave the next place to be to both Sly and his unknown bug. "You will see, Mesa City is so well-guarded, a snake couldn't slither in without setting off alarms." He then floundered and drowned, knocking himself out as Sly jumped over to the seat and retrieved the pages of the Raccoonus, even one for Rioichi Cooper, learning the Ninja Spire Jump which was developed during the time of Feudal Japan. Sly quickly got out of there when Carmelita arrived, arresting Raleigh and his band of workers, the mystery of the Triangle solved, ships and boats returning to the sunny days that now filled in the once-stormy isle...

* * *

While the thought of keeping tabs on Cooper was a wise thing to do if Cooper stole something VERY valuable, Xander had other plans as he headed off to Mesa City to get some answers. Raleigh called Muggshot a 'cohort', but there was not any prior arrangements between the gangster dog and short-tempered frog that could make that connection, so it came down to what they had in common as he arrived in the States and drove on. 'Both of them are in a gang that is sure, but both also have pages of this Thievius Raccoonus... something is not lining up right here.' He came to stop, just outside a gas station and rested a bit in thought.

'Before this whole thing is over, I am going to figure out the connection, the EXACT connection to the Coopers and the criminals that Sly is after...' He headed up with searching, looking for details that were missing, not explained in any debriefing, rather kept quiet like no one wants to let the world know WHAT really went down...


	3. Sly Cooper I: Sunset Snake Eyes

Xander didn't take it for granted as Mesa City, the once bustling casino town in Utah, was now a husk with gangsters strolling about and patrolling, all because of the machinations of Muggshot, his very presence advertised on the casino close by. He just set himself up and lined a few shots, keeping his skills at the top while also sending the distant gangsters squirming back to their boss. The roar of an engine filled the air as Xander huffed before he rested his fire and started to write, the sunset glowing over him and his makeshift cover of a small, wrecked car chassis. 'As expected, no sources in Interpol have the information required, more like they stored all of it in one file and it had been a unsolvable case until Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox picked it up and Sly Cooper took it, a clear sign of the board's or rather the select member's own stupidity as they saw it unsolvable and not worth merit.' He smiled as the familiar van appeared on the horizon and nodded.

'For now, I tail the Cooper Gang or just Sly Cooper to get some answers, Raleigh answered that 'they should have sniffed him out as well' meaning that not just Muggshot was in the picture, that there is more to the mystery and I will find that truth before long... if I don't enjoy playing with the Gang's senses...' He smiled and stashed the journal, positioning again and frowned, his weapon was heftier now, darn those idiots in Interpol for pushing a stupid thing on him for their own face...

* * *

Sly jumped out and looked about before Bentley spoke up, both from the van and in the binocucom _"Hey Sly! I thought you said Mesa City was going to be loud and busy. This looks more like a ghost town!"_

"Something's happened. Where is everyone?"

_"I don't know, but it's starting to give me the creeps. What do you say we take off?"_

"And miss all the fun?" Sly shook his head as he continued. "Besides, I want to try out that new move I got from Raleigh's section of the Thievius Raccoonus."

_"You mean the Ninja Spire Jump?"_

"Yeah. Do me a favor and read me the instructions again..." Bentley zoomed to the page and versed it.

_"To landeth safely upon diminutive points, leapeth lively and focus thine inner soul to triumph upon those jagged ways."_

"So jump and focus deeply to land on narrow spots?"

_"That's a rough translation."_ Rough or not, it was all he needed to press on into the city itself, dogs of both guard and gangster blocking his way and traps to keep him out, but he was not denied as Sly reached the city itself with an additional piece of the Raccoonus in hand, a explosive hat skill, standing close to a casino that read 'Muggshot' out as Bentley commented. _"This Muggshot certainly isn't shy. Okay, so we know he's here somewhere, but how are we supposed to find him? Mesa City is a big place."_

"Given that he's a bulldog..." Sly smiled as he looked to the top to a fire hydrant mounted on the building. "It seems only reasonable to assume he'd choose to live in a giant fire hydrant."

_"That's some __sound__ logic, Sly. Now you just need to find a way to break into the building's base."_

"Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something!" His gaze fell to a revved up car, locked down with the same locks as a treasure key, he was glad to have gotten one and he just needed to find the others before he could get in. Before he could move any further, he paused, turning to the side of a outcropping and spotted a long, silvery barrel extending out, it moving about in the dusk lighting before it pulled back, the notion of a sniper heavy on Sly's mind, but it didn't look like it was just a normal sniper or in regards to Muggshot as he lightly dismissed it and headed off to find another treasure key, as the speaker posts started up with Muggshot's tough voice.

"Yo, yo, yo! It's the boss!" Sly leapt high and started to search where he could be finding a treasure key, gauging the ways as the voice continued, also planting the voice with the face and name for when he faced the big dog. "You know, I ain't the first to admit that maybe driving everyone out of town, while necessary to set up shop, might have taken a hit out of the business. So, now I hope you mugs would be a pleasure to admit any visitors that come here to lose their money in my casino." Sly rolled his eyes as the voice continued. "But, I got a reliable tip that a cop might be snooping around the operation. So from now on, greet any visitors you see with a hail of lead! Capiche?" Sly rolled his eyes as he headed to the first area that could help them in finding a few keys...

* * *

Xander headed over in pursuit of Cooper and found a perfect outcropping that he could manage from while he listened to the comm, how none of the gang had found it was interesting as he listened, spotting a pink hippo across the way as Sly spoke to his tech ally or, better term being, friend. _"Murray is in position to make a run for this key."_

"Okay, so what do I do?"

_"Provide some covering fire for him with that blasting station."_ Xander zoomed in as Sly trotted over in readiness.

"Sweet."

_"Just focus on the guards and DON'T shoot anything that could hurt Murray or at him."_

"I'll do my best!" The line cut for now as Sly slipped in and started to get to work, Xander raising his brow before he settled in.

"Well, he's loyal and that is interesting to say the very least." The bat breathed as he switched modes, smiling as he found the targets light in with heat readings, some out of reach for a direct shot, but he just had to make it slightly easy for them. Sly fired and Xander took the shot, the gate blasted open as the middle shed erupted with a toxic smell, Murray yelping.

"Murray, keep going, I will not let whatever happened to that shed happen to you." Xander chuckled as he lined the shots, it becoming apparent that Sly had some competition in defending Murray as he called it in. "Bentley, we have the operative with us, I can't tell if they're aiming at us, but can you track them!?"

_"Got it, I just need to find any source of energy being emitted."_ Xander scowled, so they did know that he was among them, but the game was not over yet, his ammo and skill couldn't be tracked, but his heat vision scope could, so he switched it off and continued to snipe. _"I-I don't get it, how are my scanners coming up blank, but those rounds keep coming!?"_

"A moment for another time, Bentley, we just now have a spy or something on us." Murray, thankfully grabbed the key and cheered. "Murray's got the key, heading back!" Sly booked it out and Murray quickly got back to the van, Xander collapsing the rifle and following in shadows before Sly made it to the overhang where the party were suppose to hand off the keys, only to see that the Cooper Van was stuck... in a race as Sly called Murray. "Murray! What's going on down there?"

_"Well, I drove to this hotdog stand for a quick snack and the next thine you know, I've been challenged to a race by these gangster dogs!"_

"Is there a key in it for the winner?"

_"Yeah, three times around the track for a key."_ Sly nodded as Xander looked as well, surprised that Mesa City, torn up as it was, had so many spots of cover that he could work with and from a fair distance from his target.

"It's all you, man." Sly answered as he sat down to watch, knowing that they was nothing else he could do. "Drive the van and cut those corners, snagging any of those nitro power-ups will give the van extra juice. Go get 'em!"

_"I'm on it."_ Murray gunned it and it was clear that the other racers were going to have trouble with him as he pulled off a reckless, but skilled driver as Xander lined his scope and spotted that some of the racers were priming weapons as he spoke.

"This is a race, not a run-and-gun." Sly nearly shouted when he saw the same before Xander fired, the round rang true and the first racer howled as a electric current coursed through him and allowed Murray to bump past. The next barely got his gun to the side to fire before he was slammed into with a round, toppling him out of the car and into the sidelines. This got the dogs to get defensive as Murray surged past and even used the nitro to rush past before he captured the first place and got the key, heading off with a salute as they met up, Sly turning to find where the rounds came from, but nothing could be seen...

* * *

Sly sat in silence as he thought about it before Bentley spoke. "We were lucky that whoever the operative is chose to protect us like that, I have never seen such an exact shot beforehand and it was a nonlethal shock round, so that does prove that someone else from Interpol is onto us."

"But why?" Murray asked as he was grateful for the saves, but he was scared if whoever it was had just seemed to be waiting for something. "Why cover us like that and not going for the arrest?"

"I don't know... but I will keep our police scanner on just in case of something turning up." Bentley answered as he turned on the machine and turned to Sly. "Get those keys Sly, hopefully our pursuer will give himself away when it comes down to it."

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan." Sly gripped the cane and headed out, this time to the Boneyard Casino. Security was tight with those gun-toting guards, but Sly was not easy to dispatch as he worked his magic and proceeded through the watery tomb of the casino, making it to the end with a 'speed up clock' page of the Raccoonus, somehow that was out there as he also made his way on the giant routine to get the key, success his as he got out and headed to the car, unlocking the jack and releasing it, the car doing its job as it destroyed the barrier in and allowing Sly to get in, his mystery pursuer not taking it as he instead took to the top to see where Cooper would appear as Sly mused to the entrance. "Would you look at that ugly mug?"

"I am, and I find it infinitely fascinating." Sly let out a confused response as Bentley explained from the van. "My x-ray detection devices reveal that a secret elevator to Muggshot's penthouse is contained within that giant head."

"So how do we get in?" Bentley highlighted a section among the hotel lockers that would help.

"Behind this locked wall, there's a lever that summons the elevator, but you need all seven keys to open it up."

"I'm on it!" Sly smiled as he headed out to the first location...

* * *

Xander primed himself once more as he spot Cooper, in the open, having taken an elevator to the roof and was after one of the treasure keys, odd how they are all the same, but he digress with Rayleigh's designs as he watched Cooper work his way through the upper parts of the roof, causing a few cars to fall... and hurt who knows how many dogs below for those clue bottles, somehow cause a few things to topple over in destruction, and even catch a threat from Muggshot directed at Cooper. _"I got a personal message for the two-bit thief who's making off with all my treasure keys: you're dead, pally! If I get my hands on you, I'm going to fit you with your own pair of cement bunny slippers. You hear me? You're lunchmeat, jerk!"_ It wasn't the toughest threat, but it was still viable.

He watched as Sly, not only got the treasure key with blueprints of Muggshot's whole operation, but he also witnessed the wrecking ball that Cooper used destroy a G and a part of a building before Cooper headed back in, Xander switching positions to find Cooper heading down a more-defended section of Muggshot's Mesa City, a long fall below for the adventurous raccoon. "Somehow I feel like the parent." He paused as his radio started up and he answered, keeping an eye on Cooper. "What is it, Command?"

"Fangmeen, we ordered you to..."

"Need I tell you a thousand times before it gets through?" Xander countered as he continued. "Death is a last resort, NOT an answer, I don't care how much the ends seem to prove the means, I don't see the MI6 jumping every criminal and killing them, I don't recall any of the CIA firing to kill, and I DON'T recall Interpol agents going OFF the handle to just murder someone for someone else's gains." To silence, Xander scoffed and continued. "Get me Barkley, at the very least while you have my number and broke radio-silence." There was a shuffle before the gruff voice of Chief Inspector Barkley filled the call.

"I keep hearing the same thing, but I can't change their mind, Fangmeen, they have blood in their eyes."

"I know." Xander answered as he spoke. "Cooper is in Mesa City right now, thwarting the operations of Muggshot here."

"So, Inspector Montoya was correct in her hunch." Xander nodded as Barkley continued. "Has Cooper been a danger to anyone?"

"Other than criminals, he has been rather tame. He is collecting the treasure keys that seem to be connected to parts of the city." Xander looked back to see that Cooper had got the key and headed back in as Xander adjusted elsewhere. "Also, I need some intel, Rayleigh had said something about 'sniffing Cooper out as well', via a tracking and listening device I got on Cooper, any clue to that?" Barkley hummed as Xander waited and pondered what the vault this time held for Cooper.

"Not sure, anything else?" Barkley must be writing it down as Xander replied.

"Not much, but Muggshot was a 'villainous cohort' of Rayleigh and it seems like Cooper is after pages from some book of his, locked up in vaults." The Chief nooded with a huff as he continued.

"Just keep your eye on Cooper, Inspector Fox should be the one to take Cooper in, not you for now."

"Understood." The link cut and he breathed, there was a chance that someone heard that, but to get into the Interpol's inner line, you NEEDED to be the best above all. He scoped it out and found Cooper again. "Hello, raccoon." He trailed the thief as he scaled up to the rooftops, likely a key somewhere around there, but they had company.

"Well, well, well..." Lo and behold from the other side of the roofing, Carmelita Fox jumped onto a piece of masonry as she adjusted her aim with the shock pistol. "Look who just walked into my cross hairs... Sly Cooper!" Instead of being scared, Sly Cooper was as smug as always.

"About time you showed up, Ms. Fox. Was getting worried about you. Thought you took a wrong turn somewhere back in Paris." Considering that he let her capture Rayleigh and even saw her, it was clear to Xander... that this was one situation he DIDN'T want to interfere with.

"The only one making wrong turns is you, Sly." And the fact that she replies to it instead of shocking him is a naive cop's hope of talking the criminal down, noted as a working event, but it shouldn't work on Cooper. "I'd suggest you surrender before I paralyze you with my good friend, the shock pistol."

"Now see, a girl whose best friend's a firearm's got issues. A little dinner, a little dancing, I think I can help you out."

"Mmm. Sounds romantic. As long as you don't mind dining... in jail!"

"Nah, I hear the service is lousy."

"Once I catch you, you'll know for yourself!"

"Oh gosh, these two..." Xander moaned as the chase started and he vowed to STAY in place and watch the mess go down. Carmelita should have been charged for property damages, but then Cooper was too and these were criminals, so no sense in calling them in as he watched on with a shake of the head. "I can't tell really, are these two lovers or just playing a strange game of cops and robbers?" He banished such ideas away before they could form too well and followed the chase as it tore through a ruined part of the casino. He also found that the page this time was for standouts, like for those movie showings, as he followed it to the end, Sly whacking at a reinforced casing and accidentally cutting the line to a large Muggshot blimp... that had Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox on it as she bellowed.

"I'm going to hunt you down, Cooper. You can't run forever!" That could take a while for Fox to get back to the chase and that was all the time that Cooper needed it seemed as the final key was grabbed and he made his way down to the lobby again and likely headed into the elevator that must have been that as Muggshot jolted a bit, Xander turning to see the action while still remaining hidden, how did no one notice him from the get-go...?

* * *

Sly dashed in once the elevator hit the penthouse and approached the bruiser as he gaped. "What? My boys have been yapping about some big mysterious dude running around cracking skulls and-and this is it?! You're the monkey wrench in my operation?" Rage filled the bulldog as he ranted. "Some scrawny rat with a stick..." He stopped and double-checked the stick before he spoke again with a rub. "Wait a second... I've seen that stick before."

"Maybe when my father knocked your block off with it." Sly countered as Muggshot drew back in surprise.

"Your father?" Realization filled his features as he exclaimed. "Wow, you're a Cooper? You know, that Thingus Raccamagoocus had a lot of nice pictures, but WAY too many big words."

"So you don't mind just handing it over." Muggshot chuckled before he let the rage fill again.

"What are you kidding? You break into my place, steal my stuff, trash the joint. I feel transgressed and violated. Let's rock!" The guy was built like a semi and showed for it as massive guns fired at Sly, but he used the emerging crystals to destroy the guns and hurt Muggshot, the logic behind it being that Muggshot's guns were conditioned for ice-cold temperatures, by activating the crystals through the light streaming in with mirrors, the temperature changed and busted the guns from the inside. This went about two times before Sly focused a great deal of light into the crystal beneath Muggshot and heated it up, the crystal's use dying out as Sly approached the defeated bruiser. "This is impossible! A little pipsqueak like you beating a big strong bruiser like me? It ain't right!" Muggshot huffed as he spoke. "You want all of that stupid picture book, you're gonna to have to go down to Haiti and cross paths with Mz. Ruby, and then believe you me, you don't want to be you!" He fainted and Sly cracked open the safe of Muggshot's to get the pages for Tennessee 'Kid' Cooper before bailing, Carmelita back in force and hauling Muggshot off to jail...

* * *

Xander had a lead, but first was Barkley as he called him up. "Chief Inspector, add another name to that 'cohorts' list."

"Which one?"

"Mz. Ruby, Muggshot made reference to her being in Haiti." Xander headed on out through the opened roads, no one noticing the bat on a officer-issued cycle.

"Hmm... This is curious and... a bit understandable."

"Explain, sir." Barkley must have taken the cigar out of his mouth to speak, that meant business.

"The details are connecting and I can see it now, the three criminals mentioned were part of a sinister band known as the Fiendish Five, their last great caper being the deaths of Connor and Selena Cooper and the resulting orphan of Sylvester Cooper." Xander nodded as Barkley continued. "The kid must be trying to avenge his folks and get back pages of some old book that the criminals had torn apart."

"The Thievius Raccoonus..." Xander replied as he finished. "I'm heading for Haiti now, if Cooper is heading there, then I will be sure to report it, also Miss Fox... might be upset about Cooper letting her drift on a blimp."

"Don't worry, We got Muggshot, but she will get details once they are made known." Barkley paused before he spoke again. "Xander, I am moving Mina Fangmeen to Interpol's medical wing and close to my office, there was an attempt on her life, but we thwarted them, I am telling you so you don't just whip about and head back to Paris in a frenzy." Xander scoffed at how Barkley knew how to manage him. "Keep Cooper in sight and report, maybe you will be able to finalize the defeat of the Five and also find out who the fifth member could be."

Xander paused before he replied with a huff. "Roger that, Chief Barkley, Xander over and out." The line cut and the bat focused on going to Haiti, it was time to get some personal investigation in...


End file.
